Polignac Moulded Eggs

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •4 metal Baba-moulds or dariole moulds, each 3 to 4 fluid ounces (90 to 120 ml)
• •Wide lidded sauté pan deep enough for the bain-marie
• •2¾-inch (7 cm) round cutter
• •Small wide saucepan
• •Small whisk
• •Thin palette knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Reduce the glaze

   Pour the unsalted stock into a small, wide saucepan and reduce it at a lively simmer until exactly 3 tablespoons (45 ml / about 45 g) remain, usually 12 to 18 minutes. The glace de viande should look dark and glossy and lightly coat a spoon, but it must still pour. Measure it rather than guessing. If it reduces too far, whisk in hot water one teaspoon at a time until the measure returns to 3 tablespoons; reduction concentrates salt as fiercely as flavour, which is why the stock must begin unsalted.

2. 2

   Mix Maître-d’Hôtel butter

   Mash the ½ cup softened butter with the parsley, lemon juice, half the salt, and half the white pepper until evenly combined. This is Maître-d’Hôtel butter (parsley-lemon compound butter). Keep it soft but not oily while you prepare the eggs; if the kitchen is warm enough to melt it, set it somewhere cool.

3. 3

   Ready moulds and toast

   Coat the interiors of four Baba-moulds or dariole moulds generously with the softened butter, carrying it right to the rims. Lay one truffle slice flat in the bottom of each; this becomes the dark crown when the egg is turned out. Brush both sides of the bread rounds with melted butter and brown them in a skillet over medium heat until crisp and butter-gold, about 2 minutes per side. Arrange the toast rounds in a circle on a warm oval platter.

4. 4

   Poach in the bain-marie

   Crack each egg into a separate cup, then slip one into each prepared mould without disturbing the truffle. Season with the remaining salt and white pepper. Set the moulds in a wide lidded sauté pan and pour simmering water carefully around them until it reaches halfway up their sides. Cover and poach over the lowest heat for 8 to 11 minutes, until each white looks opaque and softly set while the yolk still trembles beneath it. The water must barely move. If it begins bubbling hard, pull the pan from the heat and add a spoonful of cool water before returning it to a lower flame. Ça se rattrape, provided you stop the boil promptly.

   Metal dariole moulds conduct heat quickly and release cleanly. Small straight-sided ramekins will work, but they may need 2 to 4 minutes longer and produce a less precise shape.
5. 5

   Finish the sauce

   Lift the moulds from the bain-marie onto a folded towel. Warm the measured glace de viande over the lowest heat just until fluid, then whisk in the Maître-d’Hôtel butter in four additions. Let each addition melt before the next, but never allow the sauce to simmer or the parsley will darken and the butter may separate. The finished sauce should be fluid, glossy, and lightly thickened by the gelatin in the glaze. If it turns oily, take it off the heat; whisk 1 teaspoon cool water in a clean warm bowl, then rebuild the sauce by adding the separated mixture a spoonful at a time.

6. 6

   Turn out and serve

   Run the tip of a thin palette knife just around the upper edge of each egg. Invert one mould over each toast round, wait three seconds, and lift it straight upward. If an egg clings, dip the bottom of the mould back into the warm bain-marie for five seconds and try again; if the truffle remains behind, simply return it to the egg’s crown. Arrange the four eggs in their circle, coat them generously with the warm sauce, and serve at once. Never apologize at your own table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose metal baba or dariole moulds that hold 3 to 4 fluid ounces (90 to 120 ml) and widen slightly toward the rim. That taper is what lets the egg release without a wrestling match.
• •A preserved whole black truffle is the classical pantry’s honest answer when fresh truffle is unavailable. Drain it, pat it dry, and cut proper slices. Truffle oil cannot make the dark, tender crown this dish requires.
• •The glaze carries a great deal of flavour in three tablespoons, so begin with unsalted, gelatin-rich stock. If you already have unsalted glace de viande, measure the finished three tablespoons and skip the reduction; salty paste concentrates into a sauce that bullies the egg.
• •Have the guests seated before the eggs enter the bain-marie. These do not improve by waiting. A dry Champagne or a mineral Chablis suits the truffle and rich butter without crowding them.

Advance Preparation

• •The glace de viande can be reduced up to 3 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Rewarm it gently before adding the butter.
• •The Maître-d’Hôtel butter can be mixed up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring it back to a soft, cool consistency before making the sauce.
• •The bread may be cut and the moulds buttered several hours ahead. Cover the moulds and refrigerate them, then bring them out 15 minutes before poaching. Toast the bread close to serving so it remains crisp.
• •Do not poach the eggs ahead or hold the finished sauce over heat. The final poach, turning, and coating belong together and take only a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 130g)